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Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference
Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) is a league in NCAA Men's Division III. The conference was established in 1971. Men's ice hockey was sponsored from 1971-72 through 2002-03 seasons and then was reestablished starting with the 2008-09 season. Membership Of all the conference schools only Plymouth State offers women's ice hockey. The women's team plays in ECAC East. Plymouth State is located in New Hampshire and they are an affiliated (for hockey only) member of the conference along with U-Mass Dartmouth both joining the conference jor the 2008-09 men's ice hockey season. Mass Maritime was added to the conference in September of 1974. Lowell State College was a member until July of 1975 when the school merged with Lowell Tech and the schools were collectively renamed the University of Lowell and later UMass-Lowell, this school is now a member of NCAA Division I Hockey East. Boston State was a member until 1982 when the school was merged in to UMass-Boston. The school now plays in the former ECAC East, which is now known as the New England Hockey Conference. In 1997, North Adams State was renamed Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. The athletic teams changed their nickname from Mohawks to Trailblazers in 2002. The school was concerned about the use (and public backlash of a Native American name for its' team. The name was considered an honor by the Mohawk Nation. The Trailblazers name was chosen since there are several notable trails including the Mohawk Trail (a trading route that was used to linked the pre-Colonial populations of of New England and upstate New York Other trails such as the African-American Heritage Trail, Appalachian Trail, Long Trail, Molly Stark Trail, Taconic Trail and the Mount Greylock trail system.http://athletics.mcla.edu/information/mascot/index Prior to the 2009-10 season, all these teams were in the ECAC Northeast (except Salem State, which was in the ECAC East). In 2008, Westfield State restarted their program after 30 years, which brought the number of MASCAC teams playing men's hockey to 7, enough for an automatic bid. As such, MASCAC began sponsoring hockey in 2009 and these seven teams left their old conferences. On August 26, 2014 it was announced that Western Connecticut State Colonials will join the conference as an affiliated member for men's ice hockey starting with the 2015-16 season. However, the school cancelled the program for the 2015-16 season due to financial concerns and suspended the American Collegiate Hockey Association team as well. Three MASCAC members do not presently participate in varsity level men's hockey; they are Bridgewater State, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (based in North Adams, Massachusetts) and Mass Maritme Academy (based in Buzzard's Bay). Bridgewater State and MMA have a men's club hockey team and MCLA had sponsored a varsity team until 2003. Tournament Champions *2018 Fitchburg State Falcons *2017 Salem State Vikings *2016 Salem State Vikings *2015 Plymouth State Panthers *2014 Salem State Vikings *2013 Mass-Dartmouth Corsairs *2012 Plymouth State Panthers *2011 Fitchburg State Falcons *2010 Salem State Vikings *2009 No League Tournament *2004-2008 No League play *1971-2003 No League tournament Regular Season Champions *2017-18 Plymouth State Panthers *2016-17 Plymouth State Panthers *2015-16 Salem State Vikings *2014-15 Salem State Vikings *2013-14 Salem State Vikings *2012-13 Plymouth State Panthers *2011-12 Plymouth State Panthers *2010-11 Mass-Dartmouth Corsairs *2009-10 Fitchburg State Falcons *2008-09 Salem State Vikings *2007-08 No League Play *2006-07 No League Play *2005-06 No League Play *2004-05 No League Play *2003-04 No League Play *2002-03 Salem State Vikings *2001-02 MCLA Trailblazers *2000-01 Salem State Vikings *1999-00 MCLA Mohawks *1998-99 Salem State Vikings *1997-98 Salem State Vikings *1996-97 Salem State Vikings *1995-96 Salem State Vikings/Fitchburg State Falcons *1994-95 Salem State Vikings *1993-94 Salem State Vikings *1992-93 Salem State Vikings *1991-92 Salem State Vikings *1990-91 Salem State Vikings *1989-90 Salem State Vikings *1988-89 Salem State Vikings/Fitchburg State Falcons/North Adams State Mohawks *1987-88 Salem State Vikings *1986-87 Salem State Vikings *1985-86 North Adams State Mohawks *1984-85 Salem State Vikings *1983-84 Salem State Vikings/North Adams State Mohawks *1982-83 Salem State Vikings *1981-82 Salem State Vikings *1980-81 Salem State Vikings *1979-80 Salem State Vikings *1978-79 Salem State Vikings *1977-78 Salem State Vikings *1976-77 Salem State Vikings *1975-76 Salem State Vikings *1974-75 Salem State Vikings/Boston State Warriors *1973-74 Salem State Vikings *1972-73 Boston State Warriors *1971-72 Boston State Warriors League Seasons *2017-18 MASCAC Season *2016-17 MASCAC Season *2015-16 MASCAC Season *2014-15 MASCAC season *2013-14 MASCAC season *2012-13 MASCAC season *2011-12 MASCAC season *2010-11 MASCAC season *2009-10 MASCAC season *No League play 2003-04 through 2008-09 *2002-03 MASCAC season *2001-02 MASCAC season *2000-01 MASCAC season Notable Players *Joe Gurney (Fitchburg State '88) played for the Johnstown Chiefs of the ECHL and Maine Mariners of the AHL from 1988-1991 *Dick Lamby (Salem State '75) member of 1976 US Olympic Hockey Team; played for St. Louis Blues from 1978-1981 *Peter Laviolette (Westfield State '86) member of 1988 and 2004 US Olympic Hockey Teams; NHL Coach played 10 years in the minors and played 12 games for the New York Rangers. Head coach of Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes in 2006. He was hired to be the head coach of the Nashville Predators starting with the 2014-15 season. He also coached the New York Islanders and the Philadelphia Flyers. * Category:NCAA Division III Conferences Category:Established in 1971